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to the
Chicago
Street Grid
The Street Grid: A Blueprint for Chicago
Chicago is widely considered to have one of the world’s best and most consistent street grids. It is one of the few cities in the world designed on a strict mathematical grid. From State and Madison to the city limits, its streets follow a logical, predictable system that makes navigation without a map possible for anyone who knows the formula.
The Center of the Grid
Everything begins at the intersection of State and Madison in the Heart of the Loop.
- State Street divides the city between East and West.
- Madison Street divides the city between North and South.
From this single point, the city unfolds in a predictable pattern with most streets running North/South or East/West.
Street Names: Predirectionals
- North/South addresses are determined by their distance from Madison. Streets north of Madison Street have the prefix “N” and those south of Madison Street start with “S.”
- East/West addresses are determined by their distance from State. Streets east of State Street have the predirectional “E” and those west of State Street have the start with “W.”
A Mile in Chicago: The Rule of 800
In Chicago’s grid, 800 address units equal exactly one mile. Whether you are walking, driving, or taking the CTA, you can calculate your distance from the city center using a simple bit of “grid math”:
Example: If you’re at 1600 W Chicago Ave, you are exactly 2 miles west of State Street (1,600/800 = 2 mi).
The Math: To find your mileage from the baseline (State or Madison), just divide the address by 800.
*Note: There is some nuance to the addresses on the South Side, but we’ll get to that later! 🙂
Arterial Streets: Mile & Half-Mile Streets
One of the best features of the Chicago grid is its continuity. By memorizing the major streets, you can navigate the city without a map.
To make the grid manageable, the city is organized by Major Arterials every mile (800 units) and Secondary Streets every half-mile (400 units).
- The first 4 mile marker streets West are:
- Halsted St (800 W) 1 mi
- Ashland Ave (1600 W) 2 mi
- Western Ave (2400 W) 3 mi
- Kedzie Ave (3200 W) 4 mi
- The first 2 mile marker streets North are:
- Chicago Ave (800 N) 1 mi
- North Ave (1600 N) 2 mi
- Fullerton Ave (2400 N) 3 mi
- Belmont Ave (3200 W) 4 mi
Address Numbers Reveal the Side of the Street
North/South Streets (Parallel to State St)
- East Side of the street: Odd numbers.
- West Side of the street: Even numbers.
East/West Streets (Parallel to Madison St)
- South Side of the street: Odd numbers.
- North Side of the street: Even numbers.
Decoding a Chicago Address
Once you understand the parts of an address you put the system to work. By combining the street name, direction, the house number, and the even/odd rules, you can pinpoint any location in Chicago mentally.
2408 W Fullerton Ave
W Fulleton Ave means this address is on Fullerton, an East/West street north of Madison and the W means it is west of State Street.
2408 ÷ 800 = 3.01 which means the address is just over 3 mile west of State Street. Western Ave is 2400 W so it is on Fullerton just pass Western Ave.
2408 is an even number so it is on the north side of the street.
1559 W Chicago Ave
W Chicago Ave means this address is on Chicago Ave, an East/West street north of Madison and the W means it is west of State Street.
1559 ÷ 800 = 1.95 which means the address is just less than 2 mile west of State Street. Ashland is a major North/South Street 1600 address units west of State Street so it is on Chicago Ave just before Ashland Ave.
1559 is an odd number so it is on the south side of the street.
1968 N Halsted St
N Halsted St means this address is on Halsted St, a North/South street west of State and the N means it is north of Madison Street.
1968 ÷ 800 = 2.46 which means the address is about 2.5 miles north of Madison Street. This puts it halfway between North Avenue (1600 N) and Fullerton (2400 N) around the halfmile street Armitage (2000 N).
1968 is an even number so it is on the west side of the street.